Huma Abedin’s Defenders Outed

Much has happened since Reps. Michele Bachmann, Louie Gohmert, Trent Franks, Lynn Westmoreland, and Tom Rooney fired off those five letters to various Inspectors General back on June 13th. Based on all that has transpired to this point, we thought it a worthy endeavor to chronicle the individuals / entities that have come out in support of Huma Abedin and against Bachmann. Once you look at the list – which we will attempt to keep updated – a profile of an Abedin supporter begins to emerge.

Before we itemize the list of shame that includes the names of individuals who will one day find themselves firmly planted on the wrong side of history, it’s important to identify those who have come down on the righteous side of this battle. Beyond Bachmann, et. al., they include former Speaker Newt Gingrich, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), former Federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy,Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy, Glenn Beck and the talk radio giant who may be responsible for lighting the spark that has led to the raging public debate about the loyalty of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closest advisor, Huma Abedin – Rush Limbaugh (see why below).

Back on June 24th, in the wake of the letter sent by Bachmann, et. al. to the State Department IG that identified Huma Abedin as being connected to the Muslim Brotherhood through her mother, we wrote that Saleha Abedin (Huma’s mother) and the new first lady of Egypt, Najla Ali Mahmoud (Mohamed Mursi’s wife) served together as leaders in the Muslim Sisterhood.

Two days later, Limbaugh picked up on this and reported it. As best we can tell, this is what led to the first of the Huma Abedin defenders coming forward. That is where our list begins.

Before we get to it, we ask you to ask yourself as you read this list, the following question: Why would any Republican leader side with the people on this list? When you’re done reading this list, you will see a list of Republicans who have decided to side with Huma Abedin against Michele Bachmann.

Hillary at Dar al-Hekma University in 2010 with Saleha Abedin (left). Huma and Hillary (right).

LIST OF HUMA ABEDIN’S DEFENDERS

Think Progress writer Nina Liss-Schultz: One of the guest bloggers for the George Soros – backed Think Progress, Liss-Schultz posted audio of Limbaugh’s comments from June 24th. She referred to his claims as ‘baseless’ and founded on ‘conspiracy theories’ while ignoring the cold hard evidence Walid presented one year earlier. In addition to being an intern with Think Progress, Liss-Schultz has interned with NARAL, a pro-abortion outfit.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN): The first Muslim elected to U.S. Congress, Ellison came forward on July 10th to denounce Bachmann for naming Abedin specifically in her group’s letter to the State Department IG’s office. Once again, Think Progress was eager to post Ellison’s grievances. It is believed that Limbaugh’s comments gave the Abedin story the spark it needed to get such attention. On June 30th, while speaking at the Western Conservative Summit, Frank Gaffney cited Limbaugh’s comments from June 26th. Ellison then sent a letter to Bachmann on July 12th that further decried the congresswoman’s decision to focus on Abedin. Bachmann responded to Ellison with a 16-Page letter of her own.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper: On July 16th, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper put forth a blatantly biased piece relative to Bachmann’s claims, during which he interviewed two very biased guests whom he lobbed softballs to. Once viewing the segment, Cooper’s bias is clear.

Salon writer Alex Seitz-Wald: As one of two people interviewed by Cooper in the aforementioned CNN piece, Seitz-Wald – from the far left Salon – ignored very specific facts like the membership of Abedin’s mother in the Muslim Sisterhood; Hassan Abedin’s membership at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS); and the role of Abdullah Omar Naseef. Seitz-Wald also thought it relevant to focus on the fact that Abedin’s father is deceased, which is quite irrelevant.

Heba Khalid (Abedin): Identified as Heba A. Khalid, Huma’s sister, who is also Assistant Editor at the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs (IMMA), took to twitter on July 19th and called on her followers to sign a petition that demanded Bachmann to apologize for singling out sister Huma. Arianna Huffington also utilized twitter to mock those with legitimate questions about Huma. Heba and Huma served together for years as Assistant Editors at IMMA.

John Esposito: On July 26th, the Washington Post published a defense of Huma Abedin penned by by a John “L.” Esposito. What the author didn’t disclose was that he served on the Board of the IMMA with Huma herself. In fact, Esposito is identified on the IMMA masthead as John “I.” Esposito. Once again, the source of many of the concerns about Huma Abedin – the IMMA – is the source of another one of her character witnesses.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Huma’s boss since 1996, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, came to her closest adviser’s aid on July 30th. Quoted in a POLITICO article, the former first lady said the concerns raised about Abedin have “no place in our politics”.

Rabbi David Saperstein: In a shocking admission, the director of the of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Rabbi Saperstein, actually defended Huma Abedin by invoking the name Mohamed Magid, President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). In an article published on July 31st, Saperstein then vouched for both, saying that he had a history of working for Abedin and Magid. The elephant in the room is that Magid heads an organization that seeks the destruction of the United States from within. Why would Saperstein defend Huma by invoking the name of a Muslim Brotherhood leader as someone else he supports?

Former State Department official Eric Schwartz: In an August 2nd Op-ed that appeared in the Star-Tribune, Schwartz vehemently defended Abedin before admitting in his seventh paragraph that he has a history with Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Staff which resulted in his concluding that she is a “patriotic, honorable, dedicated and hardworking public servant”. Cliff Kincaid of USASurvival.org identified Schwartz as being connected to both George Soros and disgraced former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger.

Former DNC Chairman Ed Rendell: During an appearance on Face the Nation on August 5th, loyal Clinton supporter Ed Rendell mockingly suggested that the presumptive Republican nominee for president (Mitt Romney) should select Bachmann as his running mate.

Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan: At an August 8thappearance at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Brennan outwardly mocked and dismissed Bachmann’s concerns when asked about them by a reporter.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: During an August 8thinterview with Newt Gingrich, CNN’s Blitzer inexplicably came to Abedin’s defense as a character witness despite being a supposed objective cable news network anchor. Blitzer dismissed Bachmann’s claims as ‘ridiculous’ while saying he knows Abedin as a “wonderful American patriot”.

Washington Post’s Dana Milbank: After an August 8th press conference at the National Press Club, at which former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy laid out the case against Abedin, Milbank ran interference for Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Staff by likening Abedin to something little more than a ‘gopher’ while citing a 2007 Vogue article to make his case. Milbank obviously didn’t read that Vogue piece because its portrayal of Huma was something far different from what he alleged in his defense of Abedin.

President of the United States, Barack Obama: At the August 10th White House Iftar dinner, Barack Obama singled out Huma Abedin, who was in attendance, for praise, saying that the Clinton advisor has been “nothing less than extraordinary in representing our country and the democratic values that we hold dear.” Incidentally (see David Saperstein entry above), Abedin was seated at a table with ISNA President Mohamed Magid and appeared quite comfortable there.

Amina Chaudary: In an August 14th article entitled, “We’re all Huma Abedins,” Chaudary defaulted to the inapplicable ‘guilt-by-association’ meme while referring to any claims against Abedin as being ‘baseless and unfounded’. As is the case with all of Abedin’s defenders, associations are ignored and the motives of those who highlight them are impugned. Incidentally, a woman named Amina Chaudary served on the Board of the Muslim Students Association at George Washington University (GWU), the same chapter at which Abedin served as a Board member. Is Chaudary’s defense of Huma a matter of MSA sorority sisters sticking together?

Achal Mehra: In an August 20th article that appeared on the Little India website, Mehra laughably decided to defend Abedin by citing the ISNA as a ‘mainstream’ Muslim organization. That’s what we call checkmate. Huma might want to call Mehra up and say, ‘thanks, but no thanks’.

MPAC Director Haris Tarin: Pragmatically speaking, Huma might be best advised to welcome Tarin’s support as much as she should welcome Mehra’s. MPAC has a long and storied history of anti-Semitism as well as support for Hamas and Hezbollah. In fact, she might serve her cause best by denouncing such endorsements.

Huma Abedin’s defenders largely consist of people with ties to George Soros organizations, Muslim Brotherhood front groups, the Muslim Brotherhood itself, the MSA, Hillary Clinton herself, the liberal media in general and CNN in particular, the ISNA, Islam, etc.

However, there are some irresponsible Republicans who have decided to deride a very patriotic gaggle of Congressmen for some inexplicable reason. They include establishment Republicans as well as newbies who may be influenced by establishment types (think Rubio influenced by Jeb Bush).

Here is a list of prominent Republicans (click their names for details) who have sided with those above by either siding with Huma Abedin or denouncing Michele Bachmann for raising questions. Unless and until they renounce their current positions, they risk disgracing their very names and legacies:

**UPDATE at 9:10am EST on August 28, 2012** The impact of CSP’s Frank Gaffney’s appearance at the Western Conservative Summit on June 30th should not be diminished. At that conference, Gaffney, who heads the group that Bachmann, et. al. cited specifically in their letters to the various IG’s, cited Limbaugh’s June 26th comments. Video of Gaffney’s speech got some traction on the internet and likely contributed to motivating Huma’s defenders to come forward.

**UPDATE at 11:39am EST on August 30, 2012**

LIST OF HUMA ABEDIN DEFENDERS CONT.

Muslim Comedian Dean Obeidallah: During the Republican National Convention, CNN published an op-ed by a Muslim comedian once promoted by CAIR smeared Bachmann for raising questions about Abedin and Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison.

CAIR Spokesman Corey Saylor: Again, instead of addressing facts, Saylor smeared Bachmann, saying that she is “giving us a six degrees of separation drinking game” and, like others, using the very inapplicable guilt by association argument, which doesn’t apply when it comes to being granted a security clearance.

**UPDATE at 9:47pm EST on September 7, 2012**

Canadian Journalist Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan: In an op-ed that appeared in the Saudi Gazette, Ali Khan shockingly implied that even if Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, it wouldn’t matter. Like other Abedin defenders, Ali Khan completely avoided the central point of his opponents’ argument, that Abedin’s ties should disqualify her from being the Deputy Chief of Staff for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ali Khan has ties to both CAIR and ISNA.

**UPDATE at 7:53pm EST on September 8, 2012**

Dean of George Washington University School of Business, Doug Guthrie: In an op-ed published by Forbes, Guthrie referred to Bachmann’s questions about Abedin as being “ridiculous” and “fallacious attacks” before moving on to his point about how facts shouldn’t be overlooked (irony). In 2010, Guthrie supported construction for the Ground Zero mosque and even chided Feisal Abdul Rauf for not doing more to make it happen.

**UPDATE at 7:45pm EST on September 13, 2012**

CAIR-South Florida Legal Counsel, Wilfredo Amr Ruiz: In an article that appeared in the Huffington Post, Ruiz presented the same tired non-argument that other defenders of Huma Abedin did. He attacked Bachmann without addressing any facts. His ties to CAIR would seemingly present a conflict of interest. Go figure, conflict of interest is the same concern Bachmann, et. al. had when they presented concerns about Abedin in the first place. Yet, the likes of Ruiz would have you believe it’s guilt by association.

**UPDATE at 11:08am EST on October 6, 2012**

MPAC-Iowa Chapter coordinator, Shams Ghoneim: We’re actually a bit late posting this one as Ghoneim’s defense of Abedin / smear of Bachmann was actually published on MPAC’s website on August 23rd. Again, as in the case with every single one of Abedin’s defenders, Ghoneim demagogues the justifiable concerns of those who ask questions and refuses to respond to facts. In her column, Ghoneim laughably cites the far left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to make her case by pointing to the group’s claim that Frank Gaffney is an “Islamophobe”. Ghoneim is one of at least two MPAC leaders who have defended Abedin without addressing facts. The other is the group’s Washington, D.C. Director, Haris Tarin (on the list above). Ghoneim once served on MPAC’s national board.

**UPDATE at 11:33am EST on October 12, 2012**

Hollywood Actor / Director, Ben Affleck: On October 10th, at a premiere showing of the film, ‘Argo’ in Washington, D.C., Huma Abedin was in attendance. Although Affleck hasn’t chimed in on the controversy about her familial connections to the Muslim Brotherhood or to Bachmann’s concerns, he did refer to Huma as a ‘good friend’ who was ‘instrumental’ in portion of the film that was shot inside the State Department.

**UPDATE at 1:24pm EST on December 6, 2012**

Center for American Progress Vice President, Faiz Shakir: In Rep. Michele Bachmann’s final debate with her Democratic challenger before the November 6th elections, the congresswoman from Minnesota defender her decision to raise questions about Muslim Brotherhood infiltration. On his YouTube Channel, which has since been suspended, Shakir titled the clip, “In final debate, Bachmann stands by her Muslim Brotherhood smears”. Alex Seitz-Wald, also a Huma Abedin defender, featured Shakir’s video while titling his article, “Bachmann stands by Muslim witch hunt”.

**UPDATE AT 5:37pm EST on February 18, 2013**

Liberal Miami Herald Columnist, Leonard Pitts: In an op-ed by Pitts, he gave credit to the establishment wing of the Republican Party while mocking the Party’s conservative wing. In his piece, Pitts mocked Rep. Michele Bachmann, saying that she is “perhaps still searching out terrorists in the office of the secretary of state. Like all of Abedin’s defenders, Pitts smeared Bachmann and ignored the facts, which makes him an Abedin defender.

**UPDATE AT 9:48am EST on July 11, 2013**

Daily Beast writers Josh Rogin and Eli Lake: In an article that focuses on the misstatements and failures of U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Paterson, culminating in Mursi’s ouster, Rogin and Lake dismiss the concerns of the Egyptian people relative to Huma Abedin’s role as Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff. The two writers simply refer to such concerns as part of a ‘conspiracy theory’ and assert it as a statement of fact. Again, failing to look at facts while smearing those who rightfully point to them is a common refrain, which only bolsters the case against the daughter of a Muslim Sisterhood leader.

**UPDATE at 8:56am EST on July 20, 2013**

Brian Tashman, Right Wing Watch: Tashman epitomizes the vulnerability of Huma Abedin defenders. Before quoting Frank Gaffney and Diana West, Tashman attempts to lay the foundation that they are ‘conspiracy theorists’ who should be discredited. At no point does Tashman respond to or address one of the myriad of facts that demonstrate why Abedin’s background is a concern. The only thing more amazing than Tashman’s blatant lack of substance is the refusal of those in power to swing at the slow, high-hanging curve ball that is exposing Huma Abedin. Meanwhile, she’s on track to become the first lady of the city that was hit on 9/11/01.

**UPDATE at 11:31am EST on July 27, 2013**

Sally Kohn, Democratic Strategist: During an appearance as a panelist on Hannity, Brooke Goldstein introduced the real Huma Abedin scandal into the discussion. Kohn soon thereafter interjected herself into the debate and said, “a lot of that has been disputed” before completely changing the subject. It was very obvious in this exchange that Kohn is much more interested in covering up the truth than in revealing it when it comes to Huma Abedin. This makes her a Huma defender.

Our present government is seething with Muslim extremists because of our Muslim president. A good hose cleaning is in order after the 2016 elections. We also need to stop catering, as a nation, to Muslim demands that we change our culture to suit them. Don’t like America, or its’ culture? You are free to leave anytime. Bye, Chao, Adios, Bon Voyage, See ya!